Tennessee's Advise TN Program Bolsters College Enrollment: Early Findings Show a 6% Increase at Participating Schools

Today, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission recently highlighted the impact of its Advise TN program, which helps high school students prepare for post-secondary education. Launched in 2017, the program places college and career advisors in up to 30 high schools each year, working closely with students and families to guide them through the college application process and beyond.

Although the current climate has seen national college enrollment rates take a dip, Advise TN stands as a beacon of progress. According to a statement from THEC, preliminary findings have highlighted an increase in college-going rates by 6% at participating schools. Dr. Steven Gentile, Executive Director of THEC, reflected on the program's achievements, stating, "These early results demonstrate the significant role that Advise TN plays in supporting our students' educational journeys. By providing stable, professional advisors and focusing on a range of college-preparation activities, Advise TN is helping to ensure that more Tennessee students have the opportunity to pursue higher education and achieve their goals."

But the benefits aren't just spread uniformly; they've selectively bloomed where needed the most. Rural schools, for one, have watched college-going rates bloom by an impressive 8%. Women and Hispanic students have experienced increases of 7% and 16%, respectively. The study, conducted jointly with researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, considered various metrics to assess the efficacy of Advise TN, including the frequency of student-advisor meetings, finding a 31% greater likelihood to pursue higher education among those who met their advisor more than four times during the academic year.

Dr. Taylor Odle, the Assistant Professor of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and lead researcher, weighed in on the success of the initiative. “The effects we see from Advise TN are among the strongest in the nation for programs of this kind. This is due in part to the strong design of the program, which goes beyond just providing students with information. Advisors are accompanying students every step of the way as they think about and take action on their college and career plans. This plays out in the data: Advise TN is working,” Dr. Odle told THEC. The insights were gathered by contrasting the outcomes of Advise TN schools with those not in the program, rendering a clear-cut narrative of success for the former.